The present invention is used in the manufacturing of Integrated Glass Units (IGUs) for use in residential and commercial windows. An IGU is typically assembled using two pieces of glass, which are separated by a metal spacer. The glass is permanently attached to the spacer using an adhesive, making the IGU a sealed airtight assembly.
Typically, window spacers also include an area for a desiccant to absorb any moisture in the sealed IGU. Changing temperatures throughout the year causes the glass in windows to bow inwardly and outwardly. These movements also allow moisture between the two pieces of glass. Other window spacers either have the desiccant exposed or have holes around the inside of the spacer allowing the desiccant to work. However, the exposed desiccant is aesthetically unattractive. If the desiccant is exposed, it must be applied uniformly around the window edge in order to maintain a symmetrical appearance.
Window spacers have also employed a variety of ways to hold the corners of the spacer together. Early spacers were assembled from four individual linear spacer members. Then, these members were connected by corner segments known as corner keys. The problem with this design is that the spacer has to be fully formed before applying the sealant to each of the segments, which requires the spacer to be awkwardly rotated while applying the sealant. A variation of this design allowed the corner key to be folded. With this design, the segments of the window spacer are linear, so the sealant can be easily applied. Then, the segments can be folded into its rectangular form. However, this design also has problems; it still requires additional hardware to hold the corner together such as the corner key described or a mechanical screw. Integral spacers have been attempted to alleviate this problem by creating a single member that has appropriately spaced corner structures and can be bent into its final rectangular form. However, this design causes misalignment or buckling when assembling it in its rectangular form.
With the forgoing problems and concerns in mind, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a window spacer and corner-fastening assembly, which overcome the above-described drawbacks while maximizing efficiency and simplicity in the assembling process.